Opening of the Micro-Budget Production Program

December 1, 2016

What’s new: Adoption of new measures to promote diversity

Telefilm Canada’s Micro-Budget Production Program will accept new project proposals from designated program partners from January 20 to February 3, 2017. The program provides funding support for the development, production, digital distribution, and promotion of a first feature film or first web content project.

Since 2013, the Micro-Budget Production Program has funded 55 debut projects comprised of 51 feature films and four web content projects, many of which have toured the festival circuit or picked up awards.For example, Le dep (Sonia Bonspille Boileau), Les Feuilles Mortes (Thierry Bouffard, Carnior, Edouard A. Tremblay), The Space Between (Amy Jo Johnson), The Sun at Midnight (Kirsten Carthew), The Northlander (Benjamin Ross Hayden), and Werewolf (Ashley McKenzie) were all recognized at events at home and abroad.

The program is funded primarily by the Talent Fund, a private donation fund focused on Canada’s next generation of filmmakers and on promotion and that is made possible by the participation of valued partners.

New measures to promote diversity

Telefilm Canada recently announced that it is putting in place new measures to diversify its portfolio of projects, aiming in particular to achieve, by 2020, gender parity in each of the key roles of director, writer, and producer.

Based on consultations held this year, Telefilm has determined that its first action area for 2017 will be to favour projects written or directed by women.

Furthermore, new partners were added to the program to help us achieve a more diversified portfolio of projects.